After years of neglect, two mysterious piles of rubble are all that remain on the controversial Addington Saleyards site.

The graffiti-covered buildings on Deans Ave had long been labelled "an eyesore" and "a disgrace" by concerned residents and Hagley Park users.

Despite many calls for the site to be tidied up, it had remained unused and derelict for decades.

Residents The Press spoke to said the recent demolition had gone unnoticed but the rubble had remained untouched since.

The site was purchased by the Chiu family, from Taiwan, in 1997 and attempts to sell or develop the site had failed.

A zoning change late last year meant it could be used for high-density housing but no building or resource consents have been filed with the Christchurch City Council.

A council spokeswoman said the council had ordered the grass on the 4.5-hectare site to be mowed in November. The grass was a fire hazard adjacent to a residential area, she said, but the council understood the grass was unable to be mowed until the buildings were removed.

The council had made no order to remove the buildings but now they had been demolished, it expected the fire hazard would be removed.